Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for automatically controlling a shift stage capable of improving fuel efficiency and convenience of a user by automatically shifting the shift stage from a Drive stage (D stage) to a Neutral stage (N stage) during a stop, in an electronic shift system.
Description of Related Art
In general, a transmission, which is an apparatus changing torque and speed so that power of an engine is suitable for a driving state of a vehicle and transferring the changed torque and speed to driving wheels, is classified into a manual transmission and an automatic transmission.
A driver driving a vehicle may change a shift stage of the manual transmission or the automatic transmission to a shift stage that he or she desires by operating a shift lever mounted on a console surface around a driver seat or a handle.
In the case of the manual transmission, when the driver selects a gear matched to the driving of the vehicle using the shift lever, the selected gear is transferred to the transmission through a cable, a rod, or the like such that the driving that the driver desires may be performed, and in the case of the automatic transmission, an inhibitor switch is driven through the cable by moving the shift lever by the driver, such that a motion that the driver desires is transferred to the transmission.
Particularly, the use of an electronic shift lever that electronically performs a shift operation by replacing a mechanical shift lever with an actuator and an electronic control device (ECU) that electronically operate a mechanical connection structure of the transmission and the shift lever has recently been increased. Unlike the mechanical shift lever, the electronic shift lever does not have a mechanical cable connection structure and should include a position sensor device that converts a shift intention of the driver into an electronic signal, but has advantages that operation force and operation feeling of the lever are excellent and the operation thereof is simple.
Since the above-mentioned electronic shift system (shift by wire) is not mechanically connected to the transmission by the rod and the cable, it has characteristics that may control a shift condition depending on a situation, and as a result, an automatic Park stage (P stage) engaging function for safety has been applied. However, in the electronic shift system which may be variously applied, other functions are not currently added, in addition to a function of performing an automatic engagement to a P stage when a start is in an off state or a start of an N stage is in the off state.
Therefore, various ways capable of improving fuel efficiency and further improving convenience of the driver using the electronic shift system are required.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.